Omar Navarro
The countdown to the draft has officially reached 30 days.
The Bolts head into the2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh, with five selections starting with No. 22 overall.
Take a look at who draft analysts have the Chargers selecting in the draft as of mid-March.
The opinions, analysis and/or speculation expressed below represent those of individual authors and do not represent the opinions or policies of the Chargers' organization, front office staff, coaches and executives.
Field Yates,ESPN- S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
Last updated: March 24, 2026
In this year's deep safety class, McNeil-Warren has a strong shot to be the third one off the board in the first round. He is extremely fluid and long, with great play vision and natural disruption skills. He forced three fumbles in 2025, while recording 12 pass breakups and five interceptions over the past three seasons.
The Chargers have needs at edge and guard to address in the draft, but safety is a sneaky area where they need to get younger. Derwin James Jr. will be a 30-year-old free agent next offseason.
Second round (No. 55):G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
Daniel Popper,The Athletic- IOL Vega Ioane, Penn State
Last updated: March 24, 2026
At the very least, the Chargers need to add competition for Penning at left guard early in this draft. The best-case scenario is finding a plug-and-play starter, and Ioane fits that mold. The question is whether he will make it to the Chargers at 22. It's very possible Ioane is off the board. However, in our most recent beat writer mock draft, Ioane lasted all the way to No. 21, when he was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers. How that board fell piqued my interest.
Second round (No. 55):EDGE Gabe Jacas, Illinois
Third round (No. 86):CB Chandler Rivers, Duke
Pete Prisco,CBS Sports- EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Last updated: March 23, 2026
They have to get some young blood for their edge group. Lawrence is one of those guys who would fit what they want in their scheme. He plays hard all the time, which shows up on tape.
Jordan Plocher,Pro Football Focus- DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Last updated: March 23, 2026
Only one Chargers interior defensive lineman earned a 68.0-plus PFF run-defense grade in 2025 (Teair Tart, 74.7), so a player of McDonald's size and skill would be a welcome addition. At 6-foot-2 and 326 pounds, McDonald is difficult to move at the point of attack, and his 34 run stops in 2025 rank third in the draft class among interior defensive linemen. Even more impressive, McDonald's 91.2 PFF run-defense grade was the best in the nation at the position.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz,USA Today- EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
Last updated: March 23, 2026
Even with Khalil Mack back for another season, it's time to plan for a future that won't include the 35-year-old. Parker would keep the Bolts' pass rush well stocked after Odafe Oweh's departure and give Jim Harbaugh a refined eventual replacement for Mack.
Chad Reuter,NFL.com- G Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
Last updated: March 20, 2026
PROJECTED TRADE WITH BROWNS: Chargers trade down with Browns to No. 24 and gain a fifth-round pick as well as swap fourth-round picks.
The Chargers fortify the interior of their offensive line with Bisontis, whose strength and mobility fill the hole at left guard opened by the departure of Zion Johnson.
Second round (No. 55):CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
Third round (No. 86):DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida
Kyle Dvorchak,NBC Sports- G Vega Ioane, Penn State
Last updated: March 20, 2026
Their interior, however, is still a work in progress. Ioane would immediately fill the left guard spot and allow a camp battle between Cole Strange and Trevor Penning to determine the starting right guard.
The Athletic Beat Writers,The Athletic- EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
Last updated: March 19, 2026
Khalil Mack is back, and Tuli Tuipulotu is under contract. Odafe Oweh left in free agency to sign with the Washington Commanders. The Chargers could use another piece to replace Oweh. My preferred option was Parker, who has length, physicality and polished hands. A defined plan in his pass-rush sequencing gives him the potential to make an immediate impact next to Mack and Tuipulotu.
Eric Edholm,NFL.com- EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Last updated: March 19, 2026
The offensive line still needs help, but it might be too hard for the Chargers to pass up on a high-energy rusher, short arms be damned. Howell can learn from Khalil Mack and serve as Los Angeles' third pass-rush option as a rookie.
BR NFL Draft Scouting Dept.,Bleacher Report- EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Last updated: March 19, 2026
Auburn's Keldric Faulk needs the right fit to maximize his immense potential, because he's not a true edge-defender, at least least in the traditional sense. He can thrive working from a 4i- or 5-technique, though.
Josh Edwards,CBS Sports- S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
Last updated: March 19, 2026
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren brings some stability. Although I tend to believe Jim Harbaugh will want to use this pick on either an offensive or defensive lineman, Mike McDaniel will undoubtedly want more speed.
Vinnie Iyer,Sporting News- EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Last updated: March 19, 2026
The Chargers know that Khalil Mack is coming back but they lost Odafe Oweh in free agency. They need to boost their pass rush opposite Mack for new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary and Faulk is a solid big option for the job.
